Their Basic Anatomy

• The primary ingredient in rum balls and bourbon balls is crumbs. Crushed vanilla wafers are the most common choice, but some enthusiasts favor shortbread or butter cookies, cake crumbs, chocolate wafers or even gingersnaps. The crumbs must be mixed with sugar and cocoa powder to form the base of the rum or bourbon balls, then combined with the rum or bourbon and -- usually -- corn syrup or glucose to make the filling sticky and slightly gooey. The filling is then chilled until it's firm enough to handle, and rolled into small balls the size of chocolate truffles. Like truffles they can be rolled in cocoa or powdered sugar, dipped in chocolate or otherwise decorated.

Rum Balls

• Rum balls are the more traditional version of this sweet along the East Coast, and in inland regions where the historic rum trade flourished. You can use white, dark or golden rum, whichever appeals most to your taste buds. It should have a bold and assertive rum flavor, but not be overpowering enough to mask the chocolate. Avoid inexpensive bar brands, which can have a harsh flavor, but don't blow your budget on a premium brand, either. Good-quality midrange brands offer the best combination of flavor, smoothness and price. The flavor of your rum balls will continue to deepen for a week or two after they're made.

Bourbon Balls

• In the South, despite its proximity to the rum distilleries of the Caribbean, bourbon balls are a much-loved version of the same treat. As with rum, this isn't the place to use your finest sipping whiskey. Choose a midgrade whiskey with enough subtlety to give the sweets some adult-friendly complexity, but without breaking the budget. Like rum balls, bourbon balls will continue to improve for several days after they're made, which makes them ideal for the holiday season. With several dozen bourbon balls tucked away in your refrigerator and a stack of small gift boxes, you'll never be at a loss for a last-minute gift.

A Few Alternatives

• Although rum and bourbon are the two best-known versions, you can use many other spirits for similar treats. Brandy goes superbly with chocolate, and so do many flavored liqueurs. Plain vodka is an uninteresting choice, but an inspired choice of flavored vodka can make the sweets memorable. For the nondrinkers of your acquaintance, nonalcoholic versions are also possible. Use rum, brandy or bourbon flavoring from your supermarket's bakery section, and replace the missing moisture with a small additional quantity of corn syrup or a light sugar syrup.